Aircraft rudder bar suspended over flight deck floor

Abstract

A suspended rudder bar for aircraft and aircraft having a suspended rudder bar, which includes a set of primary hinges, a set of secondary hinges including control and synchronization devices, and a set of linkages generating functional and structural links between the set of primary hinges and the set of secondary hinges, wherein the primary hinges are configured to be suspended at least on a structure supporting the instrument panel of the flight deck of the aircraft, and the secondary hinges configured to be suspended at least on a structural component of an area situated forward of the flight deck.

The invention claimed is: 
     
       1. A rudder bar for an aircraft including a flight deck equipped with an instrument panel, a forward area of the aircraft situated forward of the flight deck and a supporting structure configured to support the instrument panel, the rudder bar comprising:
 a set of primary hinges coupled to a set of pedals, 
 a set of secondary hinges, and 
 a set of structural links between the set of primary hinges and the set of secondary hinges, 
 wherein said set of pedals is configured to be suspended over a floor of the flight deck and supported by the supporting structure, 
 wherein the set of secondary hinges is configured to be attached to a structural component of the forward area of the aircraft, 
 wherein said set of structural links comprises at least one fixed structural rod fixed, at one end, to the structural component and, at an opposite end, supporting the supporting structure, 
 wherein the at least one fixed structural rod forms a cantilevered beam supporting the supporting structure, and 
 wherein the at least one fixed structural rod supports the set of primary hinges. 
 
     
     
       2. The rudder bar as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein said set of primary hinges is configured to be suspended from the supporting structure, and
 wherein said set of secondary hinges is configured to be suspended from the structural component. 
 
     
     
       3. The rudder bar as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein said set of primary hinges comprises, for each of the pedals, a pedal arm to which a respective one of the pedals is connected, the pedal arm being mounted to pivot with respect to the structural component, and wherein the pedal arm suspends the pedal above a floor of the flight deck. 
     
     
       4. The rudder bar as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein said set of secondary hinges comprises a steering shaft mounted to move in rotation around a steering axis, the steering shaft being linked via at least one linkage to a steering position sensor. 
     
     
       5. The rudder bar as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein said set of structural links comprises, for each pedal, a rod connected at a first extremity of the rod to a pedal arm of a respective one of the primary hinges corresponding to the pedal and at an opposite extremity the rod is coupled to a steering shaft of the one of the secondary hinges corresponding to a respective one of the pedals. 
     
     
       6. The rudder bar as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the rudder bar includes a second set of primary hinges coupled to a second set of pedals,
 a second set of secondary hinges, and 
 a second set of structural links between the second set of primary hinges and the second set of secondary hinges, 
 wherein said second set of pedals is suspended over the floor of the flight deck and is supported by the supporting structure, and 
 wherein the second set of secondary hinges is attached to at least one structural component of the forward area, and 
 the rudder bar further comprises a steering interconnecting rod connected to each of the set of secondary hinges and the second set of the secondary hinges. 
 
     
     
       7. The rudder bar as claimed in  claim 6 , wherein the steering interconnecting rod is linked, in a hinged manner, to transmission shafts associated respectively with each of the set of pedals and the second set of pedals. 
     
     
       8. The rudder bar as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein each pedal of said set of pedals is mounted on a pedal arm, and wherein each of said pedal arms is in a shell shape. 
     
     
       9. The rudder bar as claimed in  claim 1 , further comprising an adjustment assembly configured to adjust a position of displacement distance of at least one pedal of the set of pedals. 
     
     
       10. An aircraft incorporating the rudder bar claimed in  claim 1 . 
     
     
       11. The aircraft as claimed in  claim 10 , wherein said set of primary hinges is suspended from the structure supporting the instrument panel, and wherein said set of secondary hinges is attached to the structural component of the forward area. 
     
     
       12. A rudder bar in a flight deck of an aircraft comprising:
 a pair of pedals configured to be operated by a pilot; 
 a pair of primary hinges, wherein an end of each of the primary hinges of the pair of primary hinges is connected to a respective one pedal of the pair of pedals; 
 a supporting rod at an elevation above the pair of pedals, wherein the supporting rod is connected to the pair of primary hinges; 
 a cantilevered rod extending rearward into the flight deck from a first end of the cantilevered rod which is fixed to a structural component of a fuselage of the aircraft, wherein a second end of the cantilevered rod, opposite to the first end, supports the supporting rod; 
 a pair of secondary hinges supported by the first end of the cantilevered rod and connected to a pair of rods which connect to the pair of primary hinges, wherein each secondary hinge of the pair of secondary hinges is connected by a rod of the pair of rods to a respective one of the primary hinges of the pair of primary hinges; and 
 a steering shaft connected to the pair of secondary hinges, wherein an axial displacement of at least one rod of the pair of rods turns the steering shaft. 
 
     
     
       13. The rudder bar of  claim 12  further comprising:
 a second pair of pedals configured to be operated by another pilot; 
 a second pair of primary hinges, wherein an end of each of the primary hinges of the second pair is connected to a respective one pedal of the second pair of pedals; 
 the supporting structure is above the second pair of pedals and pivotably connected to each of the primary hinges of the second pair of primary hinges; 
 a second cantilevered rod extending rearward into the flight deck from a second structural component of the fuselage of the aircraft, wherein an end of the second cantilevered rod opposite to the second structural component supports the supporting structure; 
 a second pair of secondary hinges connected to a second pair of rods which connect to the second set of primary hinges, wherein each secondary hinge of the secondary pair of secondary hinges is connected by one rod of the second Gct pair rods to a respective one of the primary hinges of the second pair of primary hinges; and 
 a second steering interconnecting rod connected to each of the set second pair of secondary hinges and the second pair of the secondary hinges. 
 
     
     
       14. The rudder bar as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the cantilevered beam is pivotably fixed to the second set of secondary hinges. 
     
     
       15. The rudder bar as claimed in  claim 12 , wherein the cantilevered rod is pivotably fixed to the second set of secondary hinges.